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The ARCHIE Foundation, the Official Charity of the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open, will benefit to the tune of £73,255 following the huge success of last week’s event played at Royal Aberdeen Golf Club.

A variety of fundraising initiatives across the sun-drenched week on the Balgownie links underlined the generosity of a number of benefactors and also the skills of the world’s leading golfers through the birdies and eagles made during the 2014 championship.

The ARCHIE Foundation, which operates out of the Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital, coincided their tenth anniversary appeal ‘High10 for ARCHIE’ with the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open and they were generously rewarded. The funds will benefit not only the Foundation’s work at the Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital but also at its other bases of operation, the Children’s Ward in Inverness and the Children’s Ward in Elgin, as well as funding projects in community hospitals throughout the North East of Scotland and the Northern Isles.

The week began with as series of fundraising activities during the Championship’s Pro-Am Day. 44 professionals, including eventual champion Justin Rose, donating their Pro-Am appearance fee to the Official Charity, a small number of playing places in the Pro-Am were also auctioned with generous benefactors donating significant sums and nine of the leading professionals donned tartan ‘trews’ during the Pro-Am, creating a colourful line-up on the 18th green at Royal Aberdeen with Aberdeen Asset Management making a donation per traditionally dressed player, kick starting the week’s fundraising to the tune of over £35,000.

Following on during the tournament rounds proper, significant funds were raised through the Birdie Pledge, which saw the Tour Players Foundation, the charitable arm of The European Tour, join forces with title sponsor Aberdeen Asset Management to donate a combined total of £10 for every birdie and £20 for every eagle made during the championship.

With a total of 1512 birdies and 66 eagles plus a special £1665 ‘bonus’ from the hole in one eagles made by Frenchman Francois Calmels and Englishman Tom Lewis in the opening round, a total of £18,105 was secured on behalf of The ARCHIE Foundation.

Not to be out shone the spectators generosity was shown by the sell-out ARCHIE Foundation Grand Prize Draw raising a further £12,000 through the sale of prize draw tickets for the chance to play previous, current and future venues of the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open.

Further funds were also donated by the European Tour via a new initiative of incorporating a donations to the Official Charity of the Championship as part of any new sponsorship of the Scottish Open, hoisting the final total to £73,255.

David Cunningham, CEO of The ARCHIE Foundation, commented: “The incredible generosity of the players, the European Tour, Aberdeen Asset Management and the many, many individuals who bought prize draw tickets will have a lasting legacy for sick children here in the North of Scotland. Their combined support will allow us to make an incredible difference for a number of children when they really need that help the most. We are extremely grateful to have been involved in this exciting partnership."

David Park, Charity Executive for the European Tour, added: “The European Tour is very proud of the positive impact the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open has had on the ARCHIE Foundation and the Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital, it is important for the Tour to give back to the local communities we and the players visit.

"Thank you to everyone from Aberdeen Asset Management, as the title sponsor, the players, public and all those who contributed to this wonderful total, that we hope will leave a lasting legacy of the Championship’s time in Aberdeen.”

Lynda Affleck, Head of Charitable Giving at Aberdeen Asset Management said: “We are delighted to announce the incredible sum which has been raised to support The ARCHIE Foundation and their great work in the north east of Scotland. It is very special for us to be able to do this in our home town of Aberdeen where the company was formed over 30 years ago.”

“Our thanks go to the players, the spectators and The European Tour for their help in making this possible.”

The fundraising has not yet concluded as the tournament also played host to ARCHIE Foundation’s Golfin Dolphin as part of Aberdeen’s Wild Dolphin Trail. The Golfin Dolphin was skilfully painted by Royal Aberdeen Golf Club member and renowned artist Gordon E Henry in a landscape of the 18th hole and club house of the host venue, the work of art was then temporarily taken off the trail to be signed by all of the 156 players playing in the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open.

Then on Sunday evening shortly after lifting the trophy Justin Rose signed the Dolphin once again, ensuring that this one off piece of art will take top billing during the live auctioning of all of the Trail’s Dolphins at the conclusion of the trail this autumn.

The ARCHIE Foundation – Making the difference

The ARCHIE Foundation was first formed in Aberdeen in 2000 and raised money to ‘make the difference’ between an excellent new children’s hospital planned by NHS Grampian and a world-class facility with many extras which would make the experience of children being in hospital better for both the children and their families. Important structural changes were incorporated such as:

• Each child’s room being built 1m wider with a fold down bed for a parent to sleep on, instead of just a reclining chair for overnight stays;
• A 20 bedroom parents’ accommodation block was added, enabling families to stay close to very sick children;
• A multi-faith chapel and a quiet area for times of reflection;
• A parents lounge for time out;
• Play areas for the children, both indoor and outdoor;
• Classroom

There is also:

• Artwork to create a child friendly atmosphere throughout the hospital,
• Additional specialist staff such as a specialist pain nurse, an ARCHIE play leader, a family support worker, a Child Bereavement Network coordinator and a research student for child illnesses.
• Specialist training courses for staff and
• An ARCHIE funded research student have been added.

The charity has also funded many pieces of specialist equipment, emergency grants and much more.

This has led to The ARCHIE Foundation ‘making the difference’ between the excellent clinical care delivered by the NHS and a child friendly environment which makes any time spent in hospital, long or short, a better experience for the child and their family.

On 25th January 2014, the Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital was 10 years old. It has had 1million children and their families through its doors, and it is in need of some TLC itself. The ARCHIE Foundation has launched a 10th anniversary fundraising appeal ‘High 10 for ARCHIE’ with the vision “To make Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital world-class for today and tomorrow’s sick children.”

In March 2011 The ARCHIE Foundation launched an appeal in the Highlands to raise £1million to re-vamp the existing children’s ward in Raigmore Hospital, Inverness. This sum has been surpassed and is now heading towards the £2million needed to create a whole new Highlands Children’s Unit. This will bring together all the paediatric in-patient and out-patients services in a relocated children’s ward with a newly built outpatients block with its own dedicated entrance.

In January 2014 The ARCHIE Foundation extended its presence to Tayside where it will support fundraising activities dedicated to ‘Making the Difference for sick children in Tayside Children’s Hospital’.

The ARCHIE Foundation also supports many other child healthcare facilities across the north of Scotland, in smaller hospitals and community based.

The ARCHIE Foundation has become a trusted brand in fundraising for child healthcare, always promoting its desire to ‘Make the difference’ for sick children in every area in which it operates.